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Based on the Oscar-winning film starring Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman, Rain Man stars Gavin and Staceyâs Mathew Horne and Downtown Abbeyâs Ed Speleers as brothers Raymond and Charlie Babbitt (Horne and Speleers).

I had heard a lot about the film and having an autistic brother, I was inclined to see the show, alongside my step-dad, to see what all the fuss was about.

My step-Dad Lee Furness had seen the film of which he feels is a fair portrayal of Autism and Savant syndrome (for the time it was made) - the only problem being is the film has led to the wider public thinking that all autistic people have this picture perfect memory and the symptoms of "Savants." Whereas my brother does not.

I haven't seen the film and had only read the storyline so the stage adaptation was a first for me.

Rain Man - Review

The play was gripping thanks to the outstanding performances of the two leads Horne and Speelers. The scenes were simple.
My step-dad said that it was very similar to the film, but he felt that it could have been transformed for the stage rather than just a basic replica of parts of the film (see our video review below).

I however really enjoyed the storyline and the actors really set this show alight for me.

My stand-out moment was when Charlie teaches Raymond to dance. It brought a tear to my eye because it reminded me of my little brother when he discovered his love of dancing.

It was an endearing show and left you feeling warmed at the end and ready to go off into the cold autumnal night thanks to a gentle night in one of my favourite theatres.

The official low-down ( in case, like me, you haven't seen the film)

When self-centred salesman Charlie Babbitt discovers that his long-lost brother Raymond, an autistic savant with a genius for numbers, has inherited the family fortune; he sets out to get âhis halfâ. Charlie âborrowsâ Raymond from the institution where he has spent most of his life and the two brothers embark on a trip across America where Charlie soon discovers that Raymond is worth more than he could have ever imagined.

Directed by Jonathan OâBoyle, Rain Man follows previously acclaimed Bill Kenwright productions of films to the stage, including A Few Good Men, The Shawshank Redemption and Twelve Angry Men. Classic Screen to Stage Theatre Companyâs production of Rain Man is on at Leeds Grand Theatre until Saturday 3 November 2018.

Book online at leedsgrandtheatre.com or call Box Office on 0844 848 2700

Gone are the awkward Christmas Parties where you're crammed inside an old stuffy office with a wilting piece of mistletoe hanging awkwardly between you and your colleagues.Instead, welcome to a new era of stylish Christmas Parties set inside some of the UK's coolest venues.

One of those places is top art gallery The Hepworth Wakefield (ArtFund Museum of the Year 2017) home to world-renowed art and inspired by Barbara Hepworth. The Hepworth Wakefield is a great and versatile venue for events, weddings conferences and of course Christmas Parties!

Forget plastic cups and dry sandwiches and get ready for a drinks reception amongst some of the most instagrammable sculptures in the world.

Groups of all sizes can enjoy a shared or private Christmas Party like no other...

Enjoy Cocktails on arrival whilst you chat and mingle amongst the art work which is set inside the purpose-built building, designed by the acclaimed David Chipperfield Architects. The Hepworth Wakefield is in the heart of Yorkshire and the venue overlooks the River Calder. It is easily accessed by public transport or from the motorway.

Next, guests are treated to a festive four-course-feast, created by the in-house team of top chefs, using the best local seasonal produce. From a take on the traditional Turkey roast to roast vegetable and cranberry crumble, followed by Christmas Pudding Lollipops coated in white chocolate and brandy sauce. There's an array of Christmas-inspired dishes to choose from.Once people have indulged in a delightful dinner, the party starts with a guest DJ and chill-out lounge, complete with a dance floor to dance the night away...

More about The Hepworth Wakefield and The Hepworth Cafe

The Hepworth Wakefield is named after the Wakefield-born and bred Barbara Hepworth. It contains work from Ben Nicholson, Patrick Heron, L.S. Lowry, Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore as well as work by significant contemporary artists such as Frank Auerbach, Maggi Hambling, Anthea Hamilton, Martin Parr and Eva Rothschild.The Hepworth Wakefield is in the process of creatingThe Hepworth Wakefield Riverside Gallery Gardenwhich will be one of the UK’s largest free public gardens and will transform the surroundings to the gallery.The Hepworth Cafe, set inside the venue also offers up food art thanks to Excecutive Chef Chris Hale and team.MasterChef finalist Chris Hale, from Wakefield, took over the reigns of the gallery’s catering offer a year ago and has since received glowing reviews in The Observer, Waitrose Food Monthly, The Yorkshire Post and Boughton’s Coffee House magazine. The NorthStar Roast coffee (complete with latte art thanks to their in-house baristas) is not to be missed as well as the wide range of loose leaf teas.Chris and his team of chefs work hard creating bespoke menus for any event held at The Hepworth Wakefield as well as transforming The Hepworth Cafe menu each season (it changes with each new exhibition).

The lowdown:
Celebrate the festive season with a Christmas party at The Hepworth WakefieldEnjoy drinks, fine locally sourced food and an evening of entertainment surrounded by internationally renowned art.A Christmas party night at The Hepworth Wakefield includes:– Celebratory drink upon arrival– Four course festive dinner – DJ entertainment– Chill out lounge£45.00 per personAvailable dates– Friday 7 December– Saturday 8 December– Friday 14 December– Saturday 15 DecemberOther dates available for private/exclusive bookings.We can accommodate smaller office groups to larger organisations and companies.How to bookContact us today to book:hire@hepworthwakefield.org01924 247362

The show opens with a teenage Cilla White singing into a hairbrush, imagining the delights of becoming a star, and ends with her singing on her very own TV Show, her name in bright lights.Cilla The Musical is the musical adaptation of the critically acclaimed hit ITV television series by Bafta Award winner Jeff Pope, and follows the story of how dreams of fame came true for a “gawky young girl with red ‘urr” from Liverpool.

I was born in 1984. Cilla Black was staple Saturday night TV viewing in our house throughout my childhood. Blind Date and Surprise Surprise ran from 1984 and 1985 respectively into the early 2000s but it was only as I grew older that I discovered she’d been a popstar. So, when I heard about the show, I was intrigued about Cilla’s fight for recognition and subsequently what content Cilla The Musical might contain.

Musical numbers from The Big Three, The Beatles and Gerry and the Pacemakers set the scene of the emerging Mersey Beat. I readily admit that 60s rock and roll music and ballads don’t usually float my boat but I barely stopped smiling throughout the show. The live music was actually quite infectious and the storyline was full of humour which pleasantly surprised me. It really showcased Cilla’s determination to succeed. Kara Lily Hayworth has an absolutely fantastic voice and her portrayal of Cilla’s growth in confidence is delightful.

Another surprise for me was how much I fell in love with some of the other characters. They weren’t there simply to support Kara in her role as Cilla but each one added something to the story – Cilla’s manager Brian Epstein (Andrew Lancel) battling with his own demons, her beloved Bobby (Alexander Patmore) trying his best to support Cilla whilst simultaneously being pushed away, and John Lennon’s (Michael Hawkins) dry quips all pulled me in!

The staging was also brilliant. There were some really clever but subtle uses of props, space and lighting. In one scene, Cilla sings live on American TV and the set is in grayscale presumably to reflect the footage being televised on black and white sets. In another, after a night of dancing in The Cavern, a coat rack prop is reeled out while the ladies have a chat by the coats – a lovely little nod to Cilla’s coat room attendant role. Don’t even get me started on the stunning costumes. There were so many changes I lost count!

It was a whistle-stop tour of Cilla’s life in the 1960s. It had everything from dreary interiors to glitz and glam, tragedy to humour, and ultimately I left feeling totally uplifted and inspired. Not bad to say I knew very little about Cilla Black when I went in!

One thing I will definitely not forget in a hurry are the goosebumps springing up on my arms when Kara sang Anyone Who Had A Heart.

The standing ovation after the final number was totally and utterly deserved. Big congratulations to all involved in the show.

Blog Up North Blogger CubKit went along with Lisa and has written this review.

Leeds Playhouse, Leeds Young Film, Northern Ballet and The Hepworth Wakefield to partner with the Burberry Foundation and Ideas Foundation to deliver the programme

The Policy Institute at King’s College London will study the impact of the immersive arts and creative education programme on the students’ development

The Burberry Foundation is launching in Yorkshire the first in-school programme of its scope and scale to understand how deep experience of the arts can have a positive effect on young people’s lives. The impact of the four-year long programme will be studied by researchers from the Policy Institute at King’s College London, who will examine how cultural and creative education can help young people to transcend challenging circumstances, widen their horizons and realise their aspirations.Created in close partnership with the Ideas Foundation, the ‘Burberry Inspire’ programme will be delivered in eight schools in Yorkshire, and run by four eminent, local organisations across theatre, film, dance and art: Leeds Playhouse, Leeds Young Film, Northern Ballet and The Hepworth Wakefield.

By measuring the impact of the programme on the students’ personal and academic development, the Policy Institute at King’s College London aims togenerate valuable evidence about the effects of creative learning and provide a greater understanding of effective ways to engage with young people.

Each of the four organisations will provide the schools with a dedicated Artist in Residence who will give Key Stage 3 students [1] wide-ranging, hands-on experience of different areas of the creative arts. The Artist in Residence will also collaborate with teachers and students to co-create events designed to have a broad reach across their local communities. Each organisation will work with two schools per year, with all eight schools working with all four organisations by the end of the four-year programme.

Leeds Playhouse will help students explore their sense of what it means torepresent the future of Yorkshire today, inspired by the play Partition, a story about the impact of heritage. They will also have the opportunity towork with voice coaches, public speakers and performers.

Leeds Young Film will run filmmaking related workshops to develop transferable skills including virtual reality, documentary, music video, social media, vlogging and art film; developing the students’ technical abilities, problem solving and creative communication.

Northern Ballet will introduce the students to creative dance, developing their confidence and team working skills and helping them to discover different ways toexpress themselves through a universal language of movement for diverse communities.

The Hepworth Wakefield will support students to explore the relationship between place, emotion and identity, focusing on the changing industrial cityscape and what excites and inspires them about their city. The programme will provide an opportunity for the students to express themselves through a range of creative mediums - from print making to sculpting - taking inspiration from the legacy and achievements of Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore, who were both born in Wakefield District, to help build a sense of civic pride and place in the community.

Leanne Wood, a Trustee of the Burberry Foundation and Chief People, Strategy and Corporate Affairs Officer at Burberry said : “We are very proud that the Burberry Foundation will deliver this unique programme in the heart of Yorkshire in partnership with these leading organisations. At Burberry, we believe that creativity should be nurtured, and we are passionate about championing the benefits of making arts and culture available to all. We want to inspire young people across the country to explore the wide variety of ways they can be involved in the creative industries, and help to create a wealth of talent for one of Britain’s most important sectors.”

Heather MacRae, Managing Director of Ideas Foundation said: “Ideas Foundation is incredibly excited to be partnering on this project. We believe creativity doesn’t have a class, but it should have a classroom. By bringing creativity into schools we are delivering experiences that will inspire young people and give them a qp2n insight into future careers in the creative industries.”

Dr Benedict Wilkinson, Senior Research Fellow at the Policy Institute at King’s College London, said: “The Policy Institute is delighted to be involved in this initiative. Too many cultural and educational programmes are introduced without being adequately evaluated, so we’re thrilled that the Burberry Foundation has set out to rigorously analyse the impact of this project from the get-go. Doing these kinds of evaluations, rather than relying on anecdotes, is how we come to know how what actually works, and gives us the best chance of making a difference to young people’s lives.”

Alexander Ferris, Director of Creative Engagement at Leeds Playhouse said: “We are incredibly excited by the potential of the project and our shared ambitions of inspiring young people, raising achievements and aspirations through participation in the arts. Creative activity in our schools is a vital part of every young person’s education – fostering skills in empathy, reflection, resilience, communication and adaptability. Our Playhouse Education programme brings together teachers, educators, young people and theatre professionals to find innovative ways to support the curriculum and to ensure that the young people of Leeds have accessto an excellent cultural education. Working in collaboration with the other Yorkshire partners, supported by the Burberry Foundation, is going to create so many opportunities and transformative experiences, not only for the young people participating, but also for the organisations involved.”Debbie Maturi, Manager at Leeds Young Film said: "Leeds Young Film has been working with young people to learn about and make films for the last 16 years, and we are delighted tobe working in partnership with filmmaker Rad Miller and schools across the Yorkshire region tohave our legacy as a leading film educator recognised by the Burberry Foundation. Over the next four years we will work with young people to become the next generation of film talent, opening up skills and career opportunities in film that they may not have considered, and are nationally in demand including transferable contemporary skills such as narrative filmmaking including using virtual reality, vlogging and social media. Our school partners will also explore the world of cultural film watching and making, including opportunities to participate in our leading film festivals, including Leeds Young Film Festival which now welcomes over 15,000 attendees every year, which we hope to grow even further as we worktowards Leeds 2023 year of cultural celebration."

Councillor Judith Blake, leader of Leeds City Council added: “I am delighted that Leeds Young Film is part of this exciting and important programme within secondary schools. We know that our young people will benefit hugely from accessto the essential and transferable skills that cultural organisations can offer. We are excited to see how the programme develops alongside existing cultural activity across Leeds City Council and within our communities.”

Leanne Kirkham, Director of Learning at Northern Ballet said: “As a Leeds-based company with an international reputation, we are thrilled that this ground-breaking project is happening in the North of England, shining a light on Yorkshire’s exceptional cultural offer. Through this project, Northern Ballet will reach thousands more young people and open their eyes to the opportunities available in arts and culture, offering progression and pathways intothe sector. Northern Ballet wants everyone to experience great art. The aims of this project could not align better with this, and we can’t wait to get started.”

Nicola Freeman, Director of Engagement and Learning at The Hepworth Wakefield said: “With the number of young people taking GCSE and A-level arts subjects in the UK at record lows, combined with the very real need for creative thinking and innovation for our future economy, there couldn't be a more pertinent time for The Hepworth Wakefield to be working in a sustained way with secondary school students. We are incredibly grateful to the Burberry Foundation for enabling this ambitious four-year project with our local schools and regional cultural partners. It is so important that young people are given an opportunity like this to experience world-class art, be inspired to express themselves creatively and appreciate the range of careers that are open to them. We are really excited by the outcomes that this project will deliver for so many young people in Yorkshire.”

The Burberry Foundation has a longstanding relationship with Yorkshire and supporting its communities, such as tackling educational inequality through a partnership with Teach First and The Career & Enterprise Company.

Yorkshire is also the home of the iconic Burberry trench coat, which is manufactured in Castleford using materials produced at the Burberry Mill in Keighley.

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Blog Up North champions the north of England through its online magazine and its influencer network, connecting brands and businesses with some of the best northern influencers. ​Blog Up North was founded by multi-award-winning journalist and influencer Sophie Mei Lan of MamaMei.co.uk and EvokeMediaGroup.co.uk - to help talent in the north to shine through sharing opportunities, networking events and media coverage. The magazine is a way to collaborate and harness northern talent who produce content for it, whilst shining a light on the best things to do, places to go, businesses, where to eat and stay - ultimately to celebrate all the fantastic things going on up north. ​Write something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview.